Fricandó of beef with pied bleu mushrooms & black olives

This is a really traditional beef stew, which some say originated in France. I was given this recipe by Monty, my right-hand man in the kitchen, and a great young chef with a lot of love for his Catalonia country.

Ingredients

Quantity

Ingredient

60ml

olive oil

1.2kg

beef shin in large pieces

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1

large onion, finely chopped

1

carrot, finely chopped

1

celery stalk, finely chopped

500g

fresh tomatoes, chopped

100ml

brandy

500ml

fresh beef stock

200g

pied bleu mushrooms

150g

black olives, pitted

for the picada

Quantity

Ingredient

olive oil, for frying

1 slice

bread

25g

hazelnuts

25g

almonds

1

garlic clove

Method

Heat most of the oil in a casserole dish. Season the beef and brown in the dish. Remove with a slo¢ed spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the dish and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until soened. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes more.

Return the meat to the dish and splash in the brandy. Bubble for a minute then add the stock. Season then cover and simmer gently for 2 1/2–3 hours.

Meanwhile, make the picada. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the bread until golden. Whiz in a blender with the rest of the picada ingredients and enough oil to make a paste. Set aside.

When the beef is nearly done, heat a li¢le oil in a pan and fry the mushrooms until golden. Add to the casserole with the picada and continue cooking for 20 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce thick. Add the olives and serve.